Monthly Archives: August 2017

Grey’s Anatomy: Will Jackson and Maggie really get together? – EW.com (blog)

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A new romance might be in the air when Greys Anatomy returns.

After the season 13 finale hinted at a potential romance for Jackson (Jesse Williams) and Maggie (Kelly McCreary), fans of the ABC medical drama have spent the hiatus wondering if Japril is out and Jaggie Mackson? is in. April (Sarah Drew) pointed out the potential in the finale, telling Maggie she believes her ex-husband and the cardio doc who grew close when Jackson treated Maggies dying mother have feelings for one another.

What April said to her literally had not crossed her mind, so I think its a question shes grappling with whether theres any truth to that, and if there is, what to do with it, and if theres not, how to manage if theres truth for Jackson in that, McCreary tells EW. Shes on fertile ground trying basically to find out whether April was onto something shes unaware of.

When Greys Anatomy returns this fall, the series will pick up right where the finale left off following the hospital explosion, which means Aprils words will still be ringing in Maggies ears. So, will Maggie take a shot with Jackson? The truth is that still remains to be seen, McCreary says. Whats ironic is that all of the reasons the fans might not want Jackson and Maggie to get together are the exact things that make really great drama. Thats true of life, too, the stuff that makes things a little bit messier is the stuff we think we dont want, but ultimately makes us stronger, so if thats where it goes, then theres probably good story to mine and good lessons to teach there about humanity and god knows what else.

And if it doesnt go there, McCreary continues, theres still so much potential in that relationship because Jackson and Maggie havent spent a lot of meaningful time together, April and Maggie havent spent a lot of meaningful time together those are new relationships that are absolutely as worthy of exploration as Amelia and Maggie and Meredith and Maggie, so why not?

Greys Anatomy returns with a two-hour premiere on Thursday, Sept. 28 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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Grey's Anatomy: Will Jackson and Maggie really get together? - EW.com (blog)

Anatomy of a Leader: The practical skills you need to get to the top – Marketing Week

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Human, empathetic, rational, emotional, brave and agile just a snapshot of the essential attributes a modern marketing leader must possess.

From being data literate and adept at driving sales, to having the ability to tell a rich brand story, marketers can feel under real pressure to excel at every aspect of the role in order to succeed. This pressure, coupled with the shrinking length of CMO tenure, is putting marketing leaders under the microscope like never before.

To examine the key skills and attributes required by a modern marketing leader in 2017 Marketing Week has carried out an in-depthqualitative and quantitive study, mapping out the Anatomy of a Leader

The first part of the study looked at the core responsibilities of a marketing leader, with our survey of more than 600 marketers finding thatsales and commercial awareness (74%) is considered the most important responsibility for marketing leaders.

Now, switching the focus to the essential attributes of a modern leader, it is strategic thinking that most marketers (86%) believe is imperative.

Relationship building came in a distant second (61%), followed by people management (60%), vision (59%) and problem solving (57%).

Conversely, visual presentation emerged as the least important skill for a marketing leader (14%), followed by practicality (15%), general knowledge (16%), specialist knowledge (16%) and written communication (20%).

READ MORE:Take our quiz to find out if you have the Anatomy of a Leader

Recognition of the importance of strategy is welcomed by Marketing Week columnist Mark Ritson: In recent years, marketing has become more and more tactical and we have lost the art of developing clear strategic direction first. We like to debate the knobs and dials of communication, but do not have a clear strategy for our brands first.

Adaptability (87%) was identified as the attribute growing most in importance for marketing leaders, followed by strategic thinking (83%), vision (81%) and technical proficiency (77%).

The fact that strategic thinking, commercial awareness and vision are now seen as being more important is unsurprising since more marketing leaders are moving into roles with a broader set of commercial and customer accountabilities, says Direct Line Groups marketing director, Mark Evans.

What is perhaps surprising is that more marketing leaders believe that technical proficiency has simultaneously become more important. I suspect that this relates to being literate and staying fresh with regards to all things digital. However, there is a risk of being a jack of all trades and a master of none.

Evans recognises that not all digital skills are a must-have for marketing leaders and while it is helpful for CMOs to understand developments in digital, it is better to remain channel agnostic.

CMOs may feel pressure to personally build digital skills, but I dont think its something to lose sleep over if you have invested in your team, he adds.

Bacardi head of creative excellence, Zara Mirza, agrees it is less about being a super CMO who can do it all and more about building strong teams. At Bacardi, we have more than one CMO. We have me, we have a head of data, head of PR. Together we figure it out and we all report into the CEO.

Thats a smart move as theres not going to be one person as a super CMO. Having lots of perspectives and figuring it out together will give you a better chance of success.

READ MORE:Russell Parsons The modern marketing leaders might not be who you think

Looking ahead, problem solving (77%), the ability to listen (74%), resilience (74%), people management (67%) and risk taking (67%) are key attributes that marketers say are becoming the DNA of a marketing leader.

By contrast the research finds that experience (11%), specialist knowledge (10%), tactical execution (9%) and assertiveness (7%) are the attributes marketers are most likely to identify as becoming less important to the make up of the modern leader.

LinkedIn CMO ShannonStubo believes asking the right questions and using the answers to solve problems is the hallmark of a successful leader. Reflecting on her own background in PR, Stubo explains that despite not having the typical marketing experience of most CMOs, she understands how to set a vision, hire great people and build excellent teams.

Marketing leaders need to be able to identify the right talent, but also be relationship-focused with key stakeholders. They need to be able to dedicate time to mentoring and coaching to help teams develop, as well as navigate and adapt to increasingly fast-moving trends, she adds.

READ MORE: LinkedIns CMO on being a marketing boss with PR DNA

Reflecting on the skills he feels are missing from the top survey findings, Britvic CMO Matt Barwell highlights the ability to lead creatively and encourage an environment of creative thinking, which he argues are attributes far more likely to deliver true breakthroughs.

Humanity and empathy are the stand-out traits of a brilliant marketing leader in the opinion of Tommy Hilfiger CMO Avery Baker, who argues that leading without an ego is the only way to get the best out of people.

However, these softer skillsfail to impress Ritson. All this wank about humanity and bravery is the outcome of sitting around on yachts in Cannes feeling each others pain. Its time for marketers to wake up and smell the coffee. Our role is as a fundamental part of organisational success, not some personality-driven, self help group for sensitive people.

Peugeot marketing director Mark Pickles disagrees, arguing that marketers ultimately have to be brave and adaptable in order to succeed.

It is only by understanding the core desires, motivations and demands of consumers, and being brave enough to consider how to quickly adapt the enterprise to deliver these that the modern marketer can survive and prosper.

However, in the opinion of IBM CMO Lisa Gilbert, the perfect marketing leader is T-shaped. She defines this as a mixture of general leadership skills, like the ability to set a vision or the tenacity to bring an idea over the finish line, combined with expertise such as the ability create a compelling narrative or get to the root of a data problem.

This mix of skills is underpinned by empathy and the ability to manage your energy, explains Gilbert.

Being a leader in this fast-paced industry takes stamina. Fortifying yourself with people who lift you up, coupled with a few good nights sleep are critical to winning the marathon of leadership versus the sprint.

At its core Marketing Weeksresearch reaffirms how essential it is for marketers of any level to possess strong commercial awareness and strategic thinking, talents that are superseding functional skills such as copywriting and design.

To be a successful marketing leader the key is to recognise that you do not need to be good at everything and that fundamentally it is far more valuable to ask the right questions, listen to the answers and empower your teams to execute your vision with confidence and creativity.

Marketing Week will further explore the necessaryqualitiesfor leadership on the Realising YourPotential stage at the Festival of Marketing in October. For tickets, visit festivalofmarketing.com

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Anatomy of a Leader: The practical skills you need to get to the top - Marketing Week

Book Profits On Puma Biotechnology – Cramer’s Lightning Round (8/7/17) – Seeking Alpha

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Stocks discussed on the Lightning Round segment of Jim Cramer's Mad Money Program, Monday, August 7.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM): "No, don't sell it. I think they have a lot more optionality. I would not sell that here. And remember, I think the dollar's getting very weak still."

Blue Apron (NYSE:APRN): Cramer doesn't see upside.

International Game Technology (NYSE:IGT): It's an inexpensive stock but does not have a growth catalyst.

Eaton Corp (NYSE:ETN): Their quarter was not good. Cramer prefers Honeywell (NYSE:HON) or 3M (NYSE:MMM).

DaVita (NYSE:DVA): No. Cramer prefers Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) in that group.

Puma Biotechnology (NYSE:PBYI): It has had a big run. Book profits.

Masimo Corp (NASDAQ:MASI): Cramer just prefers Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG) in that group.

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Book Profits On Puma Biotechnology - Cramer's Lightning Round (8/7/17) - Seeking Alpha

Puma Biotechnology Inc (PBYI) Soars 8.96% on August 11 – Equities.com

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Market SummaryFollow

Puma Biotechnology Inc is a A biopharmaceutical company

PBYI - Market Data & News

PBYI - Stock Valuation Report

Puma Biotechnology Inc (PBYI) had a good day on the market for Friday August 11 as shares jumped 8.96% to close at $78.45. About 1.12 million shares traded hands on 9,325 trades for the day, compared with an average daily volume of 1.46 million shares out of a total float of 36.97 million. After opening the trading day at $71.85, shares of Puma Biotechnology Inc stayed within a range of $78.50 to $71.14.

With today's gains, Puma Biotechnology Inc now has a market cap of $2.9 billion. Shares of Puma Biotechnology Inc have been trading within a range of $98.85 and $28.35 over the last year, and it had a 50-day SMA of $85.99 and a 200-day SMA of $50.43.

Puma Biotechnology Inc is a biopharmaceutical company. It is engaged in the acquisition, development and commercialization of products to enhance cancer care.

Puma Biotechnology Inc is based out of Los Angeles, CA and has some 160 employees. Its CEO is Alan H. Auerbach.

For a complete fundamental analysis of Puma Biotechnology Inc, check out Equities.coms Stock Valuation Analysis report for PBYI.

Want to invest with the experts? Subscribe to Equities Premium newsletters today! Visit http://www.equitiespremium.com/ to learn more about Guild Investments Market Commentary and Adam Sarhans Find Leading Stocks today.

Puma Biotechnology Inc is also a component of the Russell 2000. The Russell 2000 is one of the leading indices tracking small-cap companies in the United States. It's maintained by Russell Investments, an industry leader in creating and maintaining indices, and consists of the smallest 2000 stocks from the broader Russell 3000 index.

Russell's indices differ from traditional indices like the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) or S&P 500, whose members are selected by committee, because they base membership entirely on an objective, rules based methodology. The 3,000 largest companies by market cap make up the Russell 3000, with the 2,000 smaller companies making up the Russell 2000. It's a simple approach that gives a broad, unbiased look at the small-cap market as a whole.

To get more information on Puma Biotechnology Inc and to follow the companys latest updates, you can visit the companys profile page here: PBYIs Profile. For more news on the financial markets and emerging growth companies, be sure to visit Equities.coms Newsdesk. Also, dont forget to sign-up for our daily email newsletter to ensure you dont miss out on any of our best stories.

All data provided by QuoteMedia and was accurate as of 4:30PM ET.

DISCLOSURE:The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors, and do not represent the views of equities.com. Readers should not consider statements made by the author as formal recommendations and should consult their financial advisor before making any investment decisions. To read our full disclosure, please go to: http://www.equities.com/disclaimer

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Puma Biotechnology Inc (PBYI) Soars 8.96% on August 11 - Equities.com

Puma Biotechnology, Inc. (PBYI) Just Flashed an Extremely Rare ‘Hold’ Signal – StockNewsGazette

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Puma Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:PBYI) fell by -9.43% during last session from $79.50 to $72.00 and has now fallen 10 consecutive sessions. The price has fallen in 9 of the last 10 days and is down by -25.5% over the same course of time. Volume has increased during last session by 0.81 million shares, but on a weak note. This is may be an early warning and the risk will be increased slightly for the next couple of days. In total, 1.48 M shares exchanged hands for about $106.35 million.

Inside PBYIs Recent Trend

Puma Biotechnology, Inc. (PBYI) has broken the very wide and strong rising short-term trend down. This signalize a slower rising rate, but may also be an early warning about a possible trend shift. Due to trend being broken there will now be resistance at the bottom line of the trend at $90.08. A reaction back to this level may hold a second chance to get out before further falls.

Puma Biotechnology, Inc. Technical Signals

PBYI has witnessed its long term and short term MA triggering a sell signal. Many traders watch for long-term averages to cross above short-term averages to signal the beginning of a downtrend. Upon corrections, the price will meet resistance from the averages between $82.49 and $88.81. A buy signal will be generated if it crosses above any of these levels. Its pivot point high generated sell signal on Friday July 28, 2017, which calls for additional declines until the stock forms a new pivot point low, as this could be a buying opportunity. Volume up and price depreciating is getting our attention as this movement is seen as bearish sign.

Puma Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:PBYI) Support And Resistance Levels

In case of pullback, the next support the price will capture from accumulated volume will not be far away from current price at $57.80. In case of gains, the next resistance from accumulated volume will not be far away from todays level at $74.95, $78.05 and $83.65.

It seems to be cursed by the accumulated volume as it meets no support below current level and favorable trading conditions around $ will drag the stock lower. Accumulated volume is going to prevent the price from rising further at $74.95 and this action will lead the price to take a temporary pause or stay muted for a few days.

Puma Biotechnology, Inc. (PBYI) Risk Assessment

A volatility based measure Bollinger Bands suggests this stock poses high risk. In the most recent session, the stock price hovered around $8.15 between high and low, or 11.43%. The average volatility for the past week stood at 5.62%.

Puma Biotechnology Inc is overbought on RSI14 (13). Some stocks may go long and hard while being overbought on RSI, but overbought increases the general risk as higher volatility could be expected, and at some level the stock will have a reaction back to gain new strength.

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Puma Biotechnology, Inc. (PBYI) Just Flashed an Extremely Rare 'Hold' Signal - StockNewsGazette

Impossible Burger blowback: Will irrational fears of biotechnology block introduction of sustainable foods? – Genetic Literacy Project

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Two entities that seem like they should be on the same page a coalition of environmental groups and a plant-based food company are at odds.

And the flash point is a veggie burger.

Impossible Foods is facing scrutiny about the safety of a key ingredient in its trademark Impossible Burger, commonly known as the veggie burger that bleeds.

The controversy arose when theNew York Timespublished an article highlightingcorrespondencebetween the FDA and Impossible Foods that environmental groups say indicates that the protein had not met the agencys approval before going to market about a year ago.

Currently our FDA, EPA and USDA regulations are falling behind the very quickly moving development of new technologies, and one of the ways that our regulatory agencies are falling behind is they are not assessing the process of genetically engineering these ingredients, said Dana Perls of Friends of the Earth, one of the groups that raised concerns about Impossible Foods safety testing.

[Read the GLPs profile on Friends of the Earth.]

[The companys CEO and founder, Patrick Brown] said the groups objections are more about the use of biotechnology than the product itself.

The vast majority of their effort is an antiscience, anti-GMO crusade, Brown said. Their strategy has tended to be to try to effectively take down any company that is using biotechnology by whatever means they can come up with.

[Editors note: Below is a letter by Impossible Burger CEO and founder Patrick Brown, republished in full with permission from the company.]

The New York Times published an Aug. 8 article falsely implying that Impossible Foods is trying to evade US Food and Drug Administration regulations and putting consumers at risk by selling a product (the Impossible Burger) containing soy leghemoglobin. The article was chock full of factual errors and misrepresentations and was instigated by an extremist anti-science group with the deliberate intention of damaging our reputation.

Heres the truth:

The greatest threat the world faces today is the enormously destructive impact that our use of animals as a food technology has on climate, water, wildlife and biodiversity, global food security and political stability. Although little known to the public and almost completely ignored by the news media, this threat is well recognized by environmental and climate scientists and organizations including the UN Environmental Program, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and the Union of Concerned Scientists, among many others. The problem is not going to be solved by asking that people give up, or even reduce, consumption of the animal-derived foods they love; the demand for meat, fish and dairy foods is growing even faster than the human population. Nothing is more important to the planet our children and future generations will inherit, or their quality of life, than finding a solution to this dilemma.

Thats why I founded Impossible Foods. Our singular mission is to enable the world to continue to enjoy the foods they love and increasingly demand, without catastrophic damage to the environment. Our strategy was simple: invent a better way to transform plants into delicious, nutritious, safe and affordable meat, fish and dairy foods that consumers love. Then let consumers choose. If we do our job right, the market will take care of the rest. Commitment to the health, nutrition and safety of our customers is an inseparable part of our mission; its at the heart of why we exist, embedded in our ethos and everything we do.

With support from investors who understand and believe in our mission, we built a team of scientists who have worked tirelessly on this problem, understanding meat what underlies its flavor, texture and all its physical properties far better than it was ever understood. One of many discoveries they made, perhaps the most important, is that a molecule called heme is what makes meat taste like meat. Without heme, you cant make meat that will satisfy the billions of people who love meat.

Heme is an iron-containing molecule thats essential for life on Earth. Its found in every living organism. Its the magic molecule that enables the cells in our bodies and in every living being on Earth to benefit from the oxygen in our atmosphere. Its the molecule that carries oxygen in our blood, makes our blood red and our lips pink. Because its in every plant and animal, humans have been eating heme every day since the first human walked on Earth. The reason that animal tissues (meat) tastes like meat and unlike any vegetable, is that animal tissues contain hundreds to thousands-fold more heme than plant tissues.

To accomplish our essential mission, we needed to find a safe way to produce heme without using animals. We used yeast cells, into which we introduced a plant gene encoding a protein called soy leghemoglobin thats naturally found in the roots of soy plants. The heme in the Impossible Burger is atom-for-atom identical to the heme found in meat, fish, plants and other foods. Soy leghemoglobin carries the heme molecule in the same way a very similar protein, myoglobin, carries heme in muscle tissue (meat). Myoglobin is just one of the thousands of different heme proteins we all consume safely in our diets every day.

The health and safety of our customers is our first priority. The foods in our diet and the molecules and ingredients they contain are by default presumed to be safe, but only a minuscule fraction have ever been scientifically tested for their safety. Although there was never a reason to suspect that soy leghemoglobin would pose any more risk than myoglobin, or any of the new proteins we encounter in our diet all the time, we started four years ago to do a deep scientific study of its safety, including any potential for toxicity or allergenicity. The data we collected and our analyses were documented and reviewed by three independent food-safety experts in toxicology, allergenicity and yeast. In 2014, this expert panel unanimously concluded based on all the evidence that the protein is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for human consumption. This is the approach followed by thousands of food companies to meet the FDA requirement that foods be generally recognized as safe. But we did more.

There is no legal or regulatory requirement that a companys finding of GRAS be submitted to the FDA for review. And its frequently not done. In fact, a total of only 709 have been submitted since the GRAS Notification system was put in place almost 20 years ago in 1998. But we did it because we recognize and respect the value of the FDA as guardian of the safety of the American food supply, one of the safest in the world.

We wanted the FDA to review our GRAS determination, to have the added benefit of their expertise, and to assure consumers that our testing of leghemoglobin has passed the most rigorous scrutiny. After submitting our GRAS determination, the FDA reviewed it, and had some questions. To address them, we conducted additional tests. And the tests turned out just as we expected: no adverse effects in rats consuming leghemoglobin every day for a month at levels more than 200 times what an average American would consume if all the ground beef in their diet were the Impossible Burger, and very low risk of allergenicity. A panel of the worlds leading experts in food safety and allergenicity has reviewed the new data, as well as the data originally submitted.

The expert panel has again unanimously concluded that soy leghemoglobin is safe; it is GRAS.

Impossible Foods has always worked constructively with the FDA, whose role as guardian of food safety for the nation we deeply respect. We will be submitting the additional data, along with the expert panels analysis of it, to the FDA this month. And FDA will make Impossible Foodss submission hundreds of pages of safety and allergenicity test results and the expert analysis of those results publicly available on its web site soon thereafter. In addition, in an abundance of caution, we clearly label our product as containing potential allergens: wheat and soy also in compliance with federal regulations. Finally, restaurants where the Impossible Burger is sold also comply with federal regulations about labeling.

Impossible Foods is proud of the safety of its first product, the Impossible Burger, and is committed to the health and safety of our customers. Thats why weve gone far beyond merely complying with food safety regulations, and we always will. I am confident in saying that the Impossible Burger is the safest and most thoroughly safety-tested burger in history. In striking contrast, the alternative, animal-derived burger is one of the least safe and most inadequately tested foods on the market.

And were committed to solving the most urgent threat the world faces today: the use of animals in the food system. Since the small-scale launch of the Impossible Burger, with just 50,000 lbs sold to date (10 billion lbs of ground beef were sold in the same time period), and working with our great restaurant partners, the Impossible Burger has already had an outsized impact: weve had an overwhelmingly positive response from consumers, and weve reduced greenhouse gases emissions by the equivalent of removing 246 American cars from the road for a year, reduced the land footprint of meat production by an area half the size of New Yorks Central Park, saved as much fresh water as 50,000 average Americans drink in a year, and saved more than 100 cows from slaughter. We cant solve this problem unless people love our burger.

Impossible Foods intends to be the most open and transparent company in the world. We welcome every opportunity to answer questions from the public and media, and share our answers on our social media channels. Before deciding how you feel about Impossible Foods or the Impossible Burger, read our story and then decide for yourself.

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Impossible Burger blowback: Will irrational fears of biotechnology block introduction of sustainable foods? - Genetic Literacy Project

How One Building Created a Cascade of Change – WPI News

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Its been nearly a decade since the doors to WPIs Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center (LSBC) opened. The first building to rise at Gateway Park, an 11-acre mixed-use campus taking shape just north of downtown Worcester and a short walk from the main WPI campus, the LSBC, formally dedicated on September 17, 2007, represented something of a gamble. In building the 125,000-square-foot research facility, the university was betting that by making a $65 million investment in the life sciences (the cost of the building and the site clean-up), it would realize dividends down the road.

That bet has paid off, and then some, says Eric Overstrm, former professor of biology and biotechnology, who joined WPI in 2004 as head of that department. This building has produced a return on investment well beyond anything we anticipated at the time, he says.

The LSBC was the answer to a question that had been nagging at WPI since it acquired the Gateway Park property in 1999, jointly with the Worcester Business Development Corporation: How could that former industrial brownfield benefit the university? The idea of constructing a building to provide much-needed space for a growing a research enterprise emerged early on, but what kind of research would be represented was unclear.

Overstrm recalls a meeting where several faculty members described the facilities they envisioned for the new center, including fire labs and a drop tower for impact research. He and his fellow life sciences department heads, the late Chris Sotak in Biomedical Engineering and Jim Dittami in Chemistry and Biochemistry, huddled and decided to propose a more focused approach: move all of WPIs graduate research programs in the life sciences and bioengineering to the new building.

The idea had a practical motivation. The wet labs in the 115-year-old Salisbury Laboratories building, where the biologist and biomedical engineers worked, were poorly suited to modern research, while lab space in the newer Goddard Hall, home to chemistry, biochemistry, and chemical engineering research, was running short as the WPI faculty grew.

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How One Building Created a Cascade of Change - WPI News

Add-On Turns Smartphones into Tricorders – ENGINEERING.com

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An interdisciplinary team of researchers has developed technology that enables a smartphone to perform lab-grade medical diagnostic tests that typically require large, expensive instruments.

Costing only $550 USD, the spectral transmission-reflectance-intensity (TRI)-Analyzer was spearheaded by bioengineering and electrical and computer engineering professor Brian Cunningham at the University of Illinois. The device attaches to a smartphone and analyzes patient blood, urine, or saliva samples as reliably as clinic-based instruments that cost thousands of dollars.

"Our TRI Analyzer is like the Swiss Army knife of biosensing," said Cunningham. "It's capable of performing the three most common types of tests in medical diagnostics, so in practice, thousands of already-developed tests could be adapted to it."

In a recently published paper, Cunningham's team used the TRI Analyzer to perform two commercially available assaysa test to detect a biomarker associated with pre-term birth in pregnant women and the PKU test for newborns to indirectly detect an enzyme essential for normal growth and development. Their tests results were comparable to those acquired with clinic-grade spectrometer instrumentation.

"The TRI Analyzer is more of a portable laboratory than a specialized device," said Kenny Long, an MD/PhD student and lead author of the research study.

Among the many diagnostic tests that can be adapted to their point-of-care smartphone format, Long said, is an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which detects and measures a wide variety of proteins and antibodies in blood and is commonly used for a wide range of health diagnostics tests.

The system is capable of detecting the output of any test that uses a liquid that changes color, or a liquid that generates light output (such as from fluorescent dyes).

The TRI Analyzer operates by converting the smartphone camera into a high-performance spectrometer. Specifically, the analyzer illuminates a sample fluid with the phone's internal white LED flash or with an inexpensive external green laser diode.

The light from the sample is collected in an optical fiber and guided through a diffraction grating into the phone's rear-facing internal camera. These optical components are all arranged within a 3D-printed plastic cradle.

The TRI Analyzer can simultaneously measure multiple samples by using a microfluidic cartridge that slides through an opening in the back of the cradle. This ability to analyze multiple samples quickly and reliably makes the Analyzer suitable for patients who lack convenient access to a clinic or hospital with diagnostic test facilities or for patients with urgent health situations requiring rapid results.

"Our Analyzer can scan many tests in a sequence by swiping the cartridge past the readout head, in a similar manner to the way magnetic strip credit cards are swiped," said Long.

In addition to its applications in health diagnostics, Cunningham said the TRI Analyzer can also be applied to point-of use applications that include animal health, environmental monitoring, drug testing, manufacturing quality control, and food safety. The patented technology is available for license.

For more smartphone modifications, find out how the T3D Smartphone 3D Printer Could Democratize 3D Printing.

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Add-On Turns Smartphones into Tricorders - ENGINEERING.com

Mizzou medical school will produce more doctors to address shortage – STLtoday.com

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Not all enrollment trends at the University of Missouri-Columbia are down the medical school has increased its class size by one-third this year.

The expansion, to a class of 128 from 96, is aimed at addressing a looming physician shortage created by an aging population. Most of Missouri is considered to have a shortage of health professionals, particularly rural parts of the state. The state needs an additional 367 doctors to accommodate its population, according to Kaiser Family Foundation data.

In 2006, the Association of American Medical Colleges recommended medical schools increase their enrollments by 30 percent in the following decade. The same year, St. Louis University increased the number of first-year students to 175 from 150, making it the largest medical school in the state.

Washington Universitys medical school enrollment has stayed between 120 and 124 students per class. There are no plans to increase the size of the class, which is partly influenced by the number of faculty and available space, according to the dean of admissions.

Mizzou started looking at expanding its class size soon after the 2006 recommendations, said Weldon Webb, an associate dean.

Were the No. 1 provider of practicing physicians in Missouri, so if somebody was going to increase, it should probably be Columbia, he said.

The expansion of the medical school includes a new $42.5 million classroom and laboratory building on the Columbia campus. A clinical campus opened last year in Springfield where some third- and fourth-year students train, aided by a partnership with CoxHealth and Mercy hospitals. About 44 percent of the medical schools students stay in Missouri after graduation, Webb said.

The growth of the medical school contrasts with undergraduate enrollment in Columbia, which dropped by about 14 percent this fall. The incoming class of about 4,000 freshmen is the smallest in nearly 20 years.

Reports of racism and a lack of diversity at Mizzou contributed to the drop in undergraduate enrollment and have also caused troubles for the medical school.

The medical schools credentials are at risk if it doesnt train more minority doctors, according to a 2016 report from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the accrediting organization for U.S. medical schools. The committee previously cited the school for its lack of diversity in 2001 and 2008.

The committees most recent recommendations give the school until 2018 to increase the number of black, Hispanic and Native American medical students, among other requirements.

Last year, less than 4 percent of Mizzous medical students belonged to one of the three underrepresented minority groups, according to national data. In the incoming class, 9 percent of students identify as black, Hispanic or Native American, school officials said.

The increased diversity of the incoming class tops St. Louis University, where 7 percent of medical students are in the three minority groups. The accrediting body placed SLUs medical school on a two-year probation in February in part for its problems recruiting and retaining low-income and first-generation students.

Washington Universitys rate of underrepresented minority medical students is 9 percent. University of Missouri-Kansas City has the states most diverse medical student body, with 12 percent.

Ebony Page of St. Louis joined Mizzous class of 2021 because of the medical schools growth and the opportunities to work in underserved communities after graduation, she said.

For me, growing up in the inner city and knowing the health disparities, a lot of it has to do with access to care, said Page, 27. To see the shortage firsthand made it important to go to an institution where it was important to them.

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Mizzou medical school will produce more doctors to address shortage - STLtoday.com

Med School Curriculum Kicks Off With a Patient’s Story – Northwestern University NewsCenter

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David Rush was interviewed by Josh Hauser, MD.

Hip-hop artist and motivational speaker David Rush kicked off the first day of medical school for Feinbergs Class of 2021, discussing his experience with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a life-threatening kidney condition that eventually forced him onto dialysis.

Rush was interviewed onstage by Josh Hauser, MD, associate professor of Medicine in the Division of Hospital Medicineand of Medical Education, as part of Feinbergs first-week curriculum, called Introduction to the Profession.

According to Rush, the first signs of trouble appeared when he was in 10th grade, during a school-mandated physical for football. High protein levels indicated poor kidney function and he was prescribed medication, which he took throughout high school. But when Rush moved to Georgia to attend the Art Institute of Atlanta, he left his self-care at home in New Jersey.

I forgot about the medical side living away from your parents and your doctors, youre not really thinking about what your blood pressure is or what your creatinine levels are, Rush said. Youre thinking, How much is Wendys again?

It wasnt until Rush underwent a physical at the urging of a friend that he discovered just how poorly his kidneys were functioning. His doctors told him he needed to start dialysis or he could die within a year. Still, Rush delayed starting the treatment. After 10 months had elapsed without treatment, Rush was discovered passed out in his sisters apartment.

He woke up in the emergency room, connected to a dialysis machine.

It was scary, I didnt want to be there, Rush said. But thats how I started dialysis.

These days, Rush spends three hours a day hooked up to a dialysis machine. While it can make him feel like hes pressed for time, he said, its also given him insight into how much patients sacrifice to receive medical care.

Patients time is taken the time they spend at hospitals, the time they spend in doctors offices and the time they spend on treatment, he said. So when youre seeing patients, you have to think about how theyre spending their time. When they finally see you it may be the seventh hour theyve been spending on this. They might come in a little edgy, but were not mad at you, but we need you to understand us.

First-year medical student Balaji Veluswamy said he appreciated hearing about Rushs experience. I havent heard that perspective before: the point of view of a patient who had time taken away from them. The patient is who you learn from the most. I find that fascinating.

Introduction to the Profession week familiarizes students with the roles of medical student and physician, connecting them to the competencies that constitute the core of the Feinberg curriculum. These competencies include ethics, teamwork, communication, patient-centered care, quality improvement, and personal awareness and self-care.

The first week also serves as an opportunity for medical students to learn about the informal curriculum the attitudes and values conveyed by Feinberg education practices and culture.

I like to think of it as the things that happen before and after class, on your way to class, and when youre talking to friends and colleagues, Hauser said. When I look back on my time as a medical student, those things are every bit as important as the more explicit goals.

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Med School Curriculum Kicks Off With a Patient's Story - Northwestern University NewsCenter

Watch: Dude Who Pretended to be Black to Get Into Medical School Wants Trump to Abolish Affirmative Action – Townhall

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Two years ago, the brother of actress Mindy Kaling published a confessional book describing how he posed as an African-American in order to gain admission into medical schools whose rigorous academic standards made his acceptance as an Indian-American virtually impossible. With affirmative action back in the news recently thanks to a (misreported) New York Times story about the Trump Justice Department potentially investigating claims of discrimination against whites (in truth, the possible inquiry was about alleged unfair treatment of Asian students), Vijay Chokal-Ingam appeared on CNN to discuss his experience. After summarizing how he overcame a subpar GPA by presenting himself as black, "JoJo" ripped affirmative action as codified racism and said he hopes President Trump will put an end to the practice, which he provocatively compared to Lincoln's abolition of slavery:

Trump has actually supported affirmative action policies, but Chokal-Ingam reasons that the president's conservative judicial picks and DOJ will undermine and eventually kill off what he calls legalized racial discrimination. Reacting to the news that for the first time ever, a slim majority of Harvard's incoming freshman class identifies as non-white, Chokal-Ingam expressed skepticism over the statistic. Borrowing Trump's famous (and deserved) derisive nickname for Elizabeth Warren, he cited the "Pocahontas factor," speculating that some significant number of students likely laid claim to dubious racial statuses in order to increase their chances of getting into the prestigious university.

On the question of race-based affirmative action vis-a-vis college admissions or corporate hiring, I have long abhorred the current regime -- which was once much more defensible -- as outmoded and unjust. Why should a wealthy Latino student from Beverly Hills or an affluent black student from Greenwich receive special advantages over a dirt poor white kid from Appalachia, whose family has been ravaged by the opioid epidemic? And why is it okay to make things substantially harder for some people of color (Asians) than others? Reaching these decisions based on skin color is antithetical to Martin Luther King's dream of a colorblind society. Race-based affirmative action should be stamped out; socio-economic affirmative action should replace it. It's simply undeniable that advantaged students from well-to-do communities have many more resources available to them than their underserved peers, creating a systemically uneven playing field. Offering a leg up to applicants who hail from from substantially less privileged families or communities is fair. I'd add that diversity of experience and thought are more valuable and enriching than "diversity" as defined purely by skin color. Plus, it's likely that a ripple effect of socio-economic affirmative action would also encourage some racial diversification, so long as certain communities remain disproportionately disadvantaged.

I'll leave you with this statistic, via Gallup last summer. While many in the media freaked out over the Times' misleading report, most Americans would be quite pleased to see racial presences and factors banished from the college admissions process -- including a majority of blacks and a super-majority of Hispanics:

In total, fully 70 percent of Americans believe race should not be a factor in admissions decisions, favoring a "merit only" rubric. As ever, the elite media and their liberal social circles are extraordinarily out of touch with much of America.

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Watch: Dude Who Pretended to be Black to Get Into Medical School Wants Trump to Abolish Affirmative Action - Townhall

Media Advisory: White coat ceremony for UB’s largest-ever medical school class marks institutional milestone – UB News Center

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BUFFALO, N.Y. They volunteer at food pantries andsuicide hotlines, work with the homeless and refugees, and assistat hospice and Meals on Wheels. Theyve done research oncancer, diabetes and geriatrics, and worked on medical missions allover the globe.

They are the 180 students of the Class of 2021 at the JacobsSchool of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University atBuffalo. Today, Aug. 11, at 3 p.m., they will receive their whitecoats at a ceremony in the Mainstage theater in the Center for theArts on the UB North Campus.

Best time for photos: Students will begin to becoated at approximately 3:30 p.m. For pressarrangements, contact Ellen Goldbaum in the UB Office of UniversityCommunications at 716-645-4605 or 716-771-9255 and on-site.

For each student who will be coated, the ceremony is apersonal milestone, said Michael E. Cain, MD, vice presidentfor health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School of Medicine andBiomedical Sciences.

But this years white coat ceremony is also aninstitutional milestone, Cain added. Today, weofficially welcome to UB its largest-ever medical school class, 180students, up from 144.

That expansion, which he called a necessity to help fill thephysician shortage in the region and in the nation, was only madepossible by the construction of the new downtown home of the JacobsSchool of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences on the Buffalo NiagaraMedical Campus. Students will begin classes in the new building inJanuary after spending their first semester on the SouthCampus.

Of the 180 students, 152 are from New York State, 78 are fromWestern New York and 40 earned their undergraduate degrees fromUB.

At the ceremony, all 180 medical students will take the Oath ofMedicine. During the "calling of the class," students will becalled to the stage individually to be presented with their coatwhile their undergraduate institution and hometown is identified byCharles M. Severin, MD, PhD, UB associate dean for medicaleducation and admissions.

The keynote address will be given by Robert H. Ablove, MD,clinical associate professor in the Department of Orthopaedics. TheLeonard Tow Humanism in Medicine award will be presented to LynnSteinbrenner, MD, clinical assistant professor in the Department ofMedicine and chief of the Oncology Section at the VeteransAdministration WNY Healthcare System.

The white coat ceremony is a symbolic rite of passage shared bymedical students across the U.S. to establish a psychologicalcontract for professionalism and empathy in the practice ofmedicine.

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Media Advisory: White coat ceremony for UB's largest-ever medical school class marks institutional milestone - UB News Center

Shelley Berkley: UNR’s Med School Should Close Its Doors – KNPR

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Former Nevada Congresswoman Shelley Berkley says Nevada can't afford two publicmedical schools. And with UNLV's new school starting this year, UNR's school should be shut down.

"We spend $60 milliona biennium to keep UNR's medical school going," Berkley told Nevada Public Radio. She is the CEO and senior provost at Touro University/Western Division, an osteopathic medical school in Henderson. "I dont think this state will want to sustain two medical schools.

Berkley joined Barbara Atkinson, dean of UNLV's new medical school, and Renee Coffman, co-founder and president of Roseman University of Health Sciences, to talk about the health care needs in Southern Nevada.

All three schools expect to churn out more doctors but that won't necessarily mean Nevada will get those doctors. Often graduating physicians stay in the cities where they do their residencies, which comes after medical school.

The number of residencies at different hospitals in southern Nevada is still relatively small, so many of the medical school students here will move to other states after graduation.

"Without any local residencies for these medical school graduates to go to basically what we would be doing is just exporting our graduates to other states to do their residencies," Heidi Kyser, staff writer for Desert Companion said.

Kyser interviewed the three women for an article in the August issue of the magazine. She said part of the problem is that residency programs are expensive. They are often funded by federal grants.

"The process for getting that funding is really complicated," Kyser explained, "And most of Nevada's hospitals have already hit the limit of that funding and the number of physicians they can get."

In Las Vegas, University Medical Center, Sunrise Hospital, and the VA hospital have had the bulk of the residency programs but more private hospitals are opening residencies.

As for the idea of closing the medical school at UNR, Kyser talked to Thomas Schwenk, the dean of that medical school, he told her he believes all the citizens of the state of Nevada deserve access to all the benefits that public medical school brings to a community not just those in the southern part of the state.

According to the three women interviewed, one of the biggest benefits would be employment and not just for new doctors trained at their facilities.

"We focus on health professions, like Shelley does at Touro, they have jobs when they get out," said Renee Coffman with Roseman University of Health Services, "So, as a prospective student that's a tremendous return on investment for your educational dollars."

Berkley added that for the 10 to 20 years health care will be where all the jobs are.

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Shelley Berkley: UNR's Med School Should Close Its Doors - KNPR

A Chemical Missionary – Adventist Review

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August 11, 2017

By: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review

How can I be a chemical missionary? What can the chemicals that make up this world and universe tell us about the Creator?

These are some of the questions Andrews University (AU) Chemistry Professor Ryan Hayes asks himself time and again when reflecting on the intersections of his beliefs and the field of science he loves.

Hayes, an AU alumnus who returned to his alma mater to teach after a decade of further studies and work in the chemical industry, offered a hands-on one-size-fits-all seminar, during the 2017 Adventist Laymens Services and Industries (ASi) Convention in Houston, Texas, United States, on August 4. In it, he explored some of the unanswered questions for naturalists and shared a work-in-process initiative that he hopes will provide novel resources for integrating faith into Chemistry learning.

A Missing Link

Hayes notes that most scholarly discussions about origins have traditionally focused on either Physicsthe depth of time, and Biologythe complexity of life, but not on Chemistry, which he called the missing link. But how is this world put together? he asks. How did God make this world?

In that regard, said Hayes, it is relevant to ask whether Chemistry can be a doorway or a barrier. There are in fact a lot of barriers for life happening spontaneously, he says. It is the reason the scientific community is spending a lot of money on Chemical Origins of Life InitiativesChemistry is the current battleground in origin studies.

Hayes believes, however, that without a Creator, there are too many knowledge gaps. For instance, the invisible chemical makeup of our planet is a finely tuned mixture of molecules that supports life, he says, before asking, How did this happen?

Educational Materials

Hayes believes that we need a renewed study of the overlooked components that make up our world in light of Scripture. Science can enhance our relationship with God, he notes as he quotes Jeremiah 29:13, where God says, And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

Now Hayes is willing to put money where his mouth is. In partnership with the communication ministry Hart Research Institute, and artist Nathan Greene, he is working on seven sets of educational materials based on the seven days of the Creation story. Greene will contribute with one specific painting for each day of Creationhe is currently working on his 5th-day paintingwhile Hayes will provide content for study and discussion.

Each set will include a video, targeting a key element of that specific Creation day, says Hayes. The idea is to throw out important arguments to make people think. It is expected that when availablemost likely by late 2018these materials may be widely used in Adventist schools, churches, and homes.

Our goal is to offer visually compelling artwork, as well as age appropriate educational materials, says Hayes. Instead of destroying our relationship with God, [we believe] science can greatly enhance it!

Air and Water

While Hayes believes that every day of the Creation story has an impressive potential for discussion and reflection on God as the Designer, his presentation is mostly devoted to one of them.

Take the second day, for instance, he says. You can discuss not only the impressive design of the atmosphere but also the magnetic and the electric fields.

Hayes notes that the atmosphere is so finely tuned that one cannot but wonder whether there is evidence of chemical design in the amount of air on the Earth.

Much of the greenhouse effect we are experiencing results from carbon dioxide, which has gone up from 0.035 to 0.040, he says. That small change is producing grave alterations. And the same applies to the weight of the atmosphere, which is exactlyno more, no lessthe one needed to support life on the planet.

After simple but alluring experiments to demonstrate some of the properties of air, Hayes reminds people attending his seminar that atmosphere is a great shield, as it protects Earth from asteroid impacts.

And it is just with the right pressure, he says, explaining that more air pressure would increase the boiling point, making it harder for evaporation to take place and affecting the water cycle. Less pressure, on the other hand, would overheat the planet, since water vapor is a greenhouse gas.

Water is the single most important ingredient for life, says Hayes. But the amount of air controls the water cycle.

As the seminar concludes, and in case people listening to his presentation still entertain doubts, Hayes reiterates his main point.

The creation story from a chemical perspective makes perfect sense, and the Bibles Creation story is scientifically sound, he says. Gods signature is His creation.

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A Chemical Missionary - Adventist Review

High school chemistry lessons coming to Rock Creek Park – Washington Post

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By Mandy McLaren By Mandy McLaren August 11 at 2:28 PM

Not all chemistry is learned in a lab. Sometimes answers are found by wading into a creek.

That is one of the lessons Montgomery County hopes to impart on local high school students by transforming a portion of Rock Creek Park and its surroundings into a hands-on chemistry classroom this school year.

The program, announced Thursday, will reach 1,500 students over the next three years, according to the county.

Starting this fall, students at John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring will become citizen scientists, monitoring water quality in the Rock Creek watershed an area that spans 60 square miles of the county. Students will collect and analyze water samples from the park and their local community.

Instead of teaching about the watershed within the classroom with pen and paper, students can actually go outside right in their schoolyard and study creeks and streams firsthand, said Diane Lill, director of education at the Audubon Naturalist Society, based in Chevy Chase, which will help facilitate the program.

Bethesda-based Veverka Family Foundation is giving $1million to the National Park Foundation to fund various science education programs. The new one in Rock Creek Park will receive $100,000 of that funding.

Under the training of chemistry teachers, local environmental experts and park rangers, Montgomery students will create a database of water-quality measurements. Students will then analyze their findings to identify areas in need of attention. The absence of certain organisms, for example, could indicate pollution, Lill said.

Montgomery officials say they will expand the three-week program to Northwood and Albert Einstein high schools in 2018-2019 and to Wheaton and Montgomery Blair high schools the following year. Their goal is to eventually integrate the curriculum into chemistry classrooms countywide.

The program comes as the county is developing lessons based on state science standards adopted in 2013. Under the standards, students are expected to approach environmental challenges with content knowledge and critical thinking skills.

Students will also need a strong foundation in chemistry to do well on Marylands science assessment, school officials say. By 2021, students will need to achieve a passing score on the test to graduate from high school.

Laurie Jenkins, Montgomerys supervisor of environmental education, said the district will review course passage rates and test data to measure the success of the outdoor education program. She said she also hopes students will graduate from high school more engaged in their roles as stewards of the local environment.

These students are going to become the citizens of the U.S. who will vote to shape environmental policy, she said.

The program, called Citizen Science 2.0 in National Parks, will also take place at Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego, Cuyahoga Valley National Park in northeast Ohio and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee.

Mary Jo Veverka, president of the Veverka Family Foundation, said her first meaningful exposure to the countrys national parks came during college when she worked at Yellowstone National Park.

With her donation, Veverka said she wants to give more students the opportunity to experience the countrys natural beauty and to recognize their impact on the environment. The Bethesda resident also hopes to join students in the field.

It was important for me as well to be able to connect with kids that I can see going to school every day, right in my back yard, she said.

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High school chemistry lessons coming to Rock Creek Park - Washington Post

Decker focused only on chemistry with Mariota vs. Jets – ABC News

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Wide receiver Eric Decker insists he has no desire to go out Saturday night and remind the New York Jets what they're missing after letting him go in June as part of the team's salary cap purge.

Oh sure, he'll say hello to a few old buddies, maybe even a coach or two.

But Decker is focused on improving his chemistry with Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota two weeks into training camp with his new team.

"I don't worry about that stuff," Decker said Thursday . "I know I still got it, and I'm happy to be here. I'm excited about what we're capable of doing. Just have to put the work in."

Decker was just the latest of several big names released when the Jets cut him June 12 to save $7.25 million in salary after failing to trade the 30-year-old receiver . Decker had interest from some teams as a free agent but signed with the Titans in Nashville, where his family has a home.

The seven-year veteran with 385 receptions for 5,253 yards and 52 touchdowns has shown an immediate chemistry with Mariota. Decker also has shown off the precise route-running and hands that earned him a five-year, $36.25 million deal from the Jets in March 2014.

The Titans aren't counting on Decker to start, though he should be on the field alongside Rishard Matthews in the preseason opener because rookie Corey Davis is recovering from a strained hamstring .

Titans coach Mike Mularkey says he doesn't think Decker has any type of payback approach to this game.

"He's going to try and operate at a high level for us with this new system that he's in," Mularkey said. "I think it would be more of 'I don't want to disappoint us' than 'try to wow them' in my opinion. That's just the personality the guy has."

Decker played in only three games last season, catching nine passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns. He wound up having surgery to repair a hip issue in October before another surgery in November to repair a torn rotator cuff.

The receiver says he feels great physically, taking advantage of the break from football because of the surgeries.

"This is the best as far as strength and mobility and just everything I've felt for a long time, so I'm happy I took care of those things," Decker said. "It's unfortunate that it happened. Never want to be put on injured reserve or miss time and be away from the game. But at this point, I'm at a good place physically and mentally."

Decker's also now with a team with a rising young quarterback in Mariota, who threw for 3,426 yards with 26 touchdowns and only nine interceptions last season. Mariota has a 93.8 passer rating through his first two NFL seasons, putting him behind only Kurt Warner, Dan Marino, Nick Foles, Russell Wilson and Ben Roethlisberger for quarterbacks attempting at least 500 passes.

The wide receiver says Mariota has made his transition to Tennessee easy.

"He has good instincts, seems like he's very comfortable with the system, puts us in spots to be successful and makes the right reads," Decker said. "Our job is to just be at those spots where he expects us to be. We're getting there. Making some good progress."

Decker will work in the slot once Davis is healthy.

Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jurrell Casey just knows he likes watching how Decker competes for the ball in the air.

"I'm waiting to see what he does on Sunday with Marcus, and a talented quarterback like that putting the ball in his hands is going to be exciting for us," Casey said. "I'm just waiting to see them big numbers."

NOTES: Mularkey said Pro Bowl running back DeMarco Murray won't play against the Jets, though Murray is expected back at practice Monday night from an injured hamstring. CB Demontre Hurst (groin), Davis and DL Karl Klug (ankle) also won't play. ... GM Jon Robinson helped out by using a couple of tennis rackets to simulate defensive linemen's hands in the air during a passing drill.

For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/APNFL

Follow Teresa M. Walker at http://www.twitter.com/teresamwalker

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Riesen likes Pioneer softball’s chemistry, battery – Enid News & Eagle

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With a 3-0 record in the first week of the season, Pioneer softball coach Dave Riesen is upbeat about the 2017 season.

"I like our group of kids,'' said Riesen Thursday. "We have good chemistry. That might be the most important thing to have early on.''

The second most important might be having an experienced battery like the Lady Mustangs have in junior returning starters Lexi Booth and Megan Carson.

Booth will be on the mound most of the time, but will move to catcher when Carson goes to the circle.

"That's where you start in fastpitch,'' Riesen said. "The circle and behind the plate are a big part of the game.''

Booth was 25-10 with an 1.01 ERA last season.

"It would be hard for her to improve but she is throwing harder and has more movement on her pitches,'' Riesen said. "Lexi has as good as control as any pitcher that I have had. She can give up more hits than most pitchers, who give up a lot of walks.''

Carson's arm is stronger and is playing with more confidence, Riesen said. aid.

"She does an outstanding job behind the plate,'' Riesen said. "She doesn't have too many passed balls and does a good job of preventing wild pitches. We feel confident in either one either as a pitcher or a catcher."

Lizzy Bennett, who has started the last two years in the outfield, has moved to second, at least temporarily. Madison Postier, who started at third last season, has moved to short for the time being. McKayla Kerger, last year's designated player, is playing third but could end up at second. Macy Alford is set at first.

"The key for us is having our infield play solid defense,'' Riesen said. "I feel comfortable with that. As the season goes, we should get even better.''

Returning starter Cheyann Vaughn is back in center where she is expected to be flanked by Shea Heinlein in left and freshman Haley Panhorst in right.

Sophmore Katey Moore is slated to be the designated player.

"It's still early,'' Riesen said. "We're still doing some experimenting. It's a work in progress."

The Lady Mustangs were 28-11 last season, losing to top-seeded Mooreland twice in extra innings in the regionals.

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Riesen likes Pioneer softball's chemistry, battery - Enid News & Eagle

Seahawks Wilson and Graham lose pounds, gain chemistry – KING5.com

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The Seattle Seahawks open the 2017 NFL regular season on the road, facing off against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

Liz Mathews, USA TODAY , KING 8:42 AM. PDT August 11, 2017

When the Seattle Seahawks traded with New Orleans in 2015 for Jimmy Graham, it was easy to imagine quarterback Russell Wilson finding his tight end down in the end zone.

But for Graham and many Seattle fans, his first season was a disappointment, cut short in November with a torn patellar tendon. Returning in time to start the 2016 season, Graham was selected to his first Pro Bowl in the blue and green. Now acclimated to a different offense and signal caller, the hopes are high for Graham in his third season in Seattle.

And no one expects more than his quarterback.

Jimmy looks great, Wilson said during his Thursday press conference. Hes explosive and making all the plays. Hes such a great receiver, great player, and he can do it all. Hes an all pro tight end and he can make a lot of plays for us so we need him.

Russell Wilson press conference from VMAC. #SeahawksCamp https://t.co/Sx6CEvawjH

Wilson and Graham worked together extensively this offseason, but both had some individual goals as well. The quarterback and his tight end each shed significant weight in preparation for the new year.

Graham spoke with 710 ESPN Seattles John Clayton on Monday and said he was down 20 pounds from last year, now tipping the scales at a svelte 260. He credited former NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez who advised him to shave off the weight as he got older.

Wilson also worked diligently this offseason to slim down, limiting himself to nine meals a day at just 4800 calories. But it isnt just the weight loss that is different heading into this season, both players are finally on the mend.

I think, also, Jimmy is really healthy right now, Wilson explained. Last year, he was coming off an injury in training camp and that whole spring, so we didnt get as much practice. I mean, we were able to throw a little bit and catch and stand there and everything else. But this offseason, we were able to train a lot. He looks really good, hes super excited about having a great year. Hes an exciting player, thats for sure.

Now this year, its Wilson who is coming off an injury-riddled season, but finally feeling 100 percent. Able to train with Graham all offseason, Wilson was asked about the chemistry with his star tight end.

I keep it simple, Wilson said. When you throw it to them, they catch it. Thats usually the telltale sign more than anything else.

2017 KING-TV

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Seahawks Wilson and Graham lose pounds, gain chemistry - KING5.com

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Riverdale’ Star Skeet Ulrich Dishes on Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart’s ‘Great Chemistry’ – Entertainment Tonight

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Playing EXCLUSIVE: 'Riverdale' Star Skeet Ulrich Dishes on Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart's 'Great Chemistry'

There's no denying there's something special between Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart!

Riverdale star Skeet Ulrich chatted with ET's Deidre Behar at the premiere of Netflx's True and the Rainbow Kingdom in Los Angeles on Thursday, where he dished on his co-stars' "great chemistry."

WATCH: EXCLUSIVE: 'Riverdale' Romance Rundown -- All the Details on Season 2's Love Interests!

"Well, I know they spend time together because they're at work all the time together," Ulrich, who plays Sprouse's TV dad, FP Jones, told ET. "But, I'm not surprised. They have great chemistry and they've been at our house with a lot of the Riverdale people and they always enjoy each other's company. So I wish them the best."

So do the on-screen couple have a special connection off-screen?

"It seems like it. It seems like it, yeah," the actor expressed. "You just hear them talking to each other like they've been best friends for 20 years. So it's a good sign."

WATCH: EXCLUSIVE: 'Riverdale' Season 2 Sneak Peek: Archie's Going 'Darker' -- Plus, Check Out the Season 1 Gag Reel!

Sprouse and Reinhart have yet to confirm they're more than friends. Earlier this month on Sprouse's 25th birthday, Reinhart dedicated a sweet message to her on-screen beau.

"To the man who has showed me more beautiful places in this past year than I have ever seen in my whole life. Happy birthday, Cole. Thank you for all of the adventures and here's to many more ," the actress wrote on Instagram.

Meanwhile, Sprouse's most recent Instagram post is a gorgeous photo of the blond beauty.

A post shared by Cole Sprouse (@colesprouse) on Aug 7, 2017 at 9:53pm PDT

RELATED: Lili Reinhart and 'Riverdale' Co-Stars Send Sweet Messages on Cole Sprouse's 25th Birthday

ET spoke with the Riverdale cast at San Diego Comic-Con last month, where they teased new love interests for their characters.

Find out who's pairing up and who's calling it quits in the video below!

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EXCLUSIVE: 'Riverdale' Star Skeet Ulrich Dishes on Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart's 'Great Chemistry' - Entertainment Tonight

Interest in STEM is contagious for students in biology, chemistry, and physics classes – Science Advances

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We report on a study of the effect of peers interest in high school biology, chemistry, and physics classes on students STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)related career intentions and course achievement. We define an interest quorum as a science class where students perceive a high level of interest for the subject matter from their classmates. We hypothesized that students who experience such an interest quorum are more likely to choose STEM careers. Using data from a national survey study of students experiences in high school science, we compared the effect of five levels of peer interest reported in biology, chemistry, and physics courses on students STEM career intentions. The results support our hypothesis, showing a strong, positive effect of an interest quorum even after controlling for differences between students that pose competing hypotheses such as previous STEM career interest, academic achievement, family support for mathematics and science, and gender. Smaller positive effects of interest quorums were observed for course performance in some cases, with no detrimental effects observed across the study. Last, significant effects persisted even after controlling for differences in teaching quality. This work emphasizes the likely importance of interest quorums for creating classroom environments that increase students intentions toward STEM careers while enhancing or maintaining course performance.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license, which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, so long as the resultant use is not for commercial advantage and provided the original work is properly cited.

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Interest in STEM is contagious for students in biology, chemistry, and physics classes - Science Advances